Software Supply Chain Security Process

This question asks how you manage all the third-party code components your application uses - libraries, frameworks, and tools from other developers. Modern applications often contain more third-party code than original code, and each component could have security vulnerabilities. It's like tracking all the ingredients in your food product to ensure none are contaminated or recalled.

Unmanaged software dependencies are a leading cause of breaches, as seen in major incidents like Log4j. Enterprise customers know that your security is only as strong as your weakest component. Having a supply chain process prevents security disasters, satisfies compliance requirements, and shows sophisticated security practices that win enterprise deals.

Teams often have no inventory of their dependencies or only check them once during initial development, missing critical updates. Another mistake is trusting all open-source software equally without evaluating the security practices of different projects.